


It Started With A Wedding

by eiramrelyat



Series: Tumblr Prompts [2]
Category: Hunger Games Series - All Media Types, Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-21
Updated: 2020-07-21
Packaged: 2021-03-05 06:27:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,643
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25429891
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eiramrelyat/pseuds/eiramrelyat
Summary: Katniss hates weddings... and one particularly persuasive best man. Modern AU. Everlark.
Relationships: Katniss Everdeen/Peeta Mellark
Series: Tumblr Prompts [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1778602
Comments: 8
Kudos: 91





	It Started With A Wedding

**Author's Note:**

  * For [JHsgf82](https://archiveofourown.org/users/JHsgf82/gifts).



> I wrote this as a drabble prompt for JHsgf82 a few months ago on Tumblr and finally got around to editing it. Enjoy!

"To the newlywed couple."

The best man raised his glass at the end of his speech, applauds followed him, and Madge gave a watery thank you. However, the silver tongue of Madge's cousin, Peeta Mellark, doesn't impress Katniss. She couldn't trust anything that came out of his mouth after he tricked her into believing that he was a decent human being.

It happened the night of the engagement party. Peeta had stopped to talk to her as she grabbed another drink from the bar at the fancy venue. If Katniss was smart, she would have nodded in greeting and walked away with her glass of over-priced beer. But she wasn't. And to make matters worse, he was attractive. Very attractive.

Her eyes moved from his bright blue ones, down towards his chest to appreciate the way his suit slightly strained against his broad shoulders. His mouth quirked into a charming smile, showing off his perfectly straight teeth and one dimple on his left cheek, as he complimented her simple black cocktail dress. Katniss ate his words out of his palm.

"Do you want to get out of here," she asked him brazenly. They’ve been talking at the bar for forty minutes, undoubtedly no one would note their absence.

Peeta stared at her, a surprised expression riddling his perfect features. He pushed back a few curly sandy strands that fell onto his forehead, opening his mouth to answer, until a short brunette sidled up to his side. He jumped, surprised by the unexpected interruption.

"Baby, where have you been?" Katniss's mouth fell slack, and she blinked at the pair, dumbfounded by the woman currently against his side.

"Clove," he said, his voice laced with trepidation. He licked his lips nervously, waving a hand in Katniss's direction. "Uh, this is Katniss. A friend." Her face flamed hot in humiliation, then anger. Katniss couldn't believe that Peeta neglected to mention that he wasn't single. Now she felt like a complete idiot as she stood next to him and his girlfriend, her suggestion still lingering in the air.

Clove glanced over at Katniss, regarding her with open scrutiny, then placed a protective hand on Peeta's chest. And without offering a friendly hand, Clove uttered a stiff 'hello' through tight lips. How could she expect her to be friendly after she openly hit on her boyfriend?

"Hello," Katniss greeted, forcing a smile onto her face. Then she made the lame excuse that someone was waving her down, leaving two pairs of eyes staring at her back. Thankfully, Delly made it look believable and talked her ear off for the rest of the night, not noticing that Katniss only half-listened during the entire conversation.

A man like Peeta couldn't be trusted...

Glimmer took the mic to give her maid of honor speech, pulling Katniss out of her reverie, her voice high-pitched compared to the former speaker. Katniss tried to listen, but eventually drowned her out after the fourth story about her and Madge's time in college, only lifting her glass when everyone else did. As she tilted back the rest of her wine, Katniss felt a pair of eyes on her, and she looked over to find Peeta staring at her. He smiled when her eyes met his, but she glanced away, scooting her chair forward to avoid his line of sight.

Try as she might, she couldn't stop the feeling of butterflies that burst in her chest. And not even the outdoor reception could stop the heat that rushed through her from him looking at her... She shook her head, looking down at her now empty glass, and blaming the alcohol for making her feel so flustered.

The dancing started shortly after the speeches. Katniss used this to relieve herself from the table, seeking Prim out from the mass of wedding guests seated at the white round tables. She walked between chairs and tables until she recognized her sister's blonde hair and bubbly laugh amongst the crowd. Mom and uncle Haymitch sat across from Prim; her uncle seemed to be the only one with a sour expression.

As she drew closer to the table, she heard Haymitch grumble about the seating arrangement and she bit back a grin.

"Why even come at all if we're placed too damn far away to see what's going on?" he asked mom, who shot an apologetic look toward one of Madge's relatives.

"I didn't think you'd complain about free alcohol, old man," Katniss quipped as she took the empty seat next to Prim.

Haymitch rolled his eyes at her. "The first glass is complimentary."

Prim turned toward Katniss, then. "You look beautiful, Katniss! Pink suits you."

Katniss adjusted the spaghetti strap on her left shoulder and smiled sheepishly at her sister. "Thanks, Prim."

"So," Prim dragged out, a blush tinting her cheeks. "The best man is kind of hot."

Katniss frowned at the seventeen-year-old. "Prim, he's too old for you." She assumed coming over to her family's table would be a way to avoid Peeta. Her horrible luck, she guessed... Or Prim was too observant for her own good.

Prim bit her lip, a secret smile lifting her mouth. "But he's old enough for you."

"Can we change the topic," Haymitch grumbled. "I'm going to lose my food, listening to my two favorite nieces talk about boys."

Prim laughed, a contagious sound that spread around the table."But we're your _only_ nieces," she corrected. Haymitch muttered something about Everdeen women under his breath and continued nursing on the amber liquid in his glass.

Ignoring Haymitch, Katniss continued. "He's not my type." Jerks were positively not her type, though, her body seemed to hint otherwise with Peeta. "Plus, he has a girlfriend... or wife, or whatever." Prim raised a blonde eyebrow in amusement. "What?" Katniss asked, feeling her face grow hot under her sister's questioning stare. "I don't know anything about the guy's personal life!"

Prim's braid bounced against her shoulder as she shrugged. "If you say so..." She trailed off when something caught her eye behind Katniss. "He's coming this way," she squealed in the same way as when her favorite band came on the radio. Prim glanced back at Katniss with wide-eyes, before a mischievous glint sparkled in those blue irises.

Katniss frowned as her sister tried to play matchmaker. Then she heard, more like felt, Peeta stand next to the empty seat beside her. His proximity made the hairs on her arm stand at attention.

"Hello." She heard the smile in his voice as he greeted her family. What was he doing there, anyhow? Didn't he have Clove to attend to? "Do you mind if I join you?"

Mom's eyes flitted over to Katniss for a split second before offering Peeta a kind smile. "Oh, no, by all means!" Then Peeta pulled out the empty chair, subtle cinnamon notes wafting to Katniss's nose as he sat down.

"Thank you," he told her. Katniss's frown deepened, and she folded her arms over her chest.

Prim eagerly looked around Katniss to gawk at Peeta, and if it wasn't for her current predicament, Katniss would laugh at how her sister was practically drooling. "I'm Prim, this is our mother, Lilly, and our uncle Haymitch. Your speech was impressive, by the way," her sister gushed in one breath. "I would never be brave enough to talk in front of these people."

"Four years of teaching a college class will make you forget your fears, trust me." Katniss tried not to seem interested in the new bit of information, but she wondered what he taught... Prim seemed to read her mind.

"What class do you teach? You know, Katniss wanted to be a kindergarten teacher, but-ow!" Prim yelped as Katniss kicked her from underneath the table.

Katniss's cheeks flared once she felt everyone's eyes draw onto her, and she spared a glance toward Peeta, feeling annoyed when she found amusement riddling his features.

"Really?" Peeta asked. She answered yes, offering nothing further. "Ah, well, that's great! And I teach cellular biology at Panem State." Peeta leaned forward then, holding his hand out in front of Katniss for Prim to shake. She grew acutely aware of how close his hand was to her chest, feeling his heat radiate down the v-neck of her dress. "Sorry, I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Peeta."

Prim giggled like a schoolgirl as his giant hand engulfed her dainty one. "It's nice to meet you." Haymitch grunted the word 'clean' from across the table, giving Prim a pointed look. Her face turned bright red from embarrassment, and Peeta released Prim's hand. Thankfully, it returned to his side, as Katniss felt immensely wary of him already.

A new song blared through the speakers by a band she'd never heard before, but she tapped her fingers against the table as she tuned out the conversation she sat between. Then "... Will you dance with me?"

Katniss inclined her head toward the question, her mouth gaped as she fixed her wide eyes on Peeta. "What," she started before Prim cut her off.

"She'd love to!" She glared at a smirking Prim.

Her sister urged Katniss from her seat as Peeta offered her his hand. Grudgingly, she took it, ignoring how warm it felt in hers before they disappeared amongst the crowd. They weaved through the throng of people, only bumping into a few that were standing from their seats. He brought her to a quiet corner on the makeshift dance floor, then he placed his other hand on her lower back that remained covered by her dress. She suppressed a shiver that threatened to surface... God, get it together Everdeen.

He swayed them to the soft melody. The entire time, Katniss glared at his chest, uninterested in making small talk. Occasionally, she looked down at her feet when she misstepped. She didn't care if she made a mess of his smoothly polished shoes, although she feared twisting an ankle; the death heels she was forced to wear offering little aid in the matter.

Peeta cleared his throat when he realized Katniss would not be the first to speak. "Your family seems nice."

Katniss scowled up at him."My sister is too young for you if that's what you're hinting at."

Peeta made a face. "Shit, Katniss, I wasn't hitting on your sister. I would never do that!" He let out an exasperated sigh. "Listen, I'm sorry for what happened at the engagement party."

She scoffed. "Funny that you waited this long to apologize."

He made a noise of disbelief."Well, you never gave me the chance to defend myself."

"That doesn't sound like my problem. Where is your girlfriend, anyway?" she asked. "Didn't feel like getting caught this time?"

"Can you at least let me explain what happened?" Her eyes narrowed, but she said nothing, so Peeta took that as a cue to continue. "Clove isn't my girlfriend, she is nothing more than a coworker. I needed a date, Clove volunteered. She was drunk, and I'm positive she went home with some guy named Cato that night. You don't have to believe me, but I promise it's the truth." He studied her, pleading with her, but Katniss looked away.

"Why do you care what I think of you? You could have easily moved on to someone else by now." She shook her head, convincing herself that it was just another scheme.

"Because you're beautiful, smart, and witty. And... I've been wanting to take you out on a date."

Katniss glanced up at him, blinking rapidly and caught speechless."What? But... I'm sure there are a ton of other eligible women here..."

His mouth twitched, visibly fighting back a smile."Katniss, I sought _you_ out at this wedding full of women. No one else. I'm attracted to you. Don't you understand that?"

She didn't know why she was even considering going on a date with Peeta, and she wasn't sure if she entirely accepted his apology. But she admitted that she had enjoyed talking to him that night, and enjoyed his company of all things...

Sighing, she nodded."Okay... I'll allow it." A lopsided grin pulled at his mouth, but Katniss put up a hand. "This is your only chance, Mellark. I don't normally give second chances, so consider yourself lucky."

"Duly noted," he said, his smile growing.

She gave him a halfhearted scowl, but couldn't fight the smile that pulled at her own mouth.

* * *

Katniss arrived home from work late, the lights in the house all turned off except the one above the sink in the kitchen. Her toes and fingers were numb from the snowstorm that brewed outside; thankfully, she finished her paperwork in time before the full effect hit all of Panem.

She toed off her boots, trying to be as quiet as possible during her drowsy fumbling with the rest of her winter clothes. Then she made a beeline for the shower, forgetting about the plate of dinner that she knew her fiance thoughtfully placed in the fridge. She stood underneath the warm stream of water, allowing the heat to penetrate her skin. A sigh fell from her lips as the water pellets massaged her head that throbbed from exhaustion.

After she toweled off, Katniss tiptoed into the bedroom, navigating her way through the dark with her arms spread out in front of her. Though it was pointless as she stubbed her toe against the nightstand. She cursed under her breath at the pain that shot through her foot, but she also feared waking up the sleeping figure on the bed.

She pulled back the comforter on her side of the bed and crawled into the warmth emanating there. Sturdy arms immediately reached out for her, pulling her against a solid chest.

"You're cold," Peeta mumbled sleepily. "Come here." And he pulled her even tighter into his embrace, nuzzling her hair with his nose.

His hand laced with hers. Katniss's heart fluttered in her chest as his thumb sought the ring on her left hand. It was something he often did without realizing it. Peeta's other hand rested against her bare hip. Even though she felt drained, that didn't stop her body from responding to his wandering touch. She heard his quick intake of breath, feeling another part of him pull awake against her backside.

"Katniss," came Peeta's hoarse voice. "Are you not wearing any underwear?"

Instead of answering, Katniss pushed against the growing erection she felt through Peeta's boxers, creating a quivering chain reaction low in her belly. Before she knew what was happening, Peeta had Katniss on her back, nestling himself between her thighs. She released a shaky breath, his tongue now drawing patterns against her left breast.

Their love-making was slow, pushing and pulling against each other until they were a spent pile of limbs underneath the comforter. Katniss drowsily ran her hands through Peeta's slightly damp hair, reveling in the euphoric glow that surrounded them. A giggle escaped her when she felt Peeta place an open-mouthed kiss against her ribcage, the short whiskers from his growing beard, tickling her skin.

She tugged on his hair, "stop that." He lifted his head up to give her a goofy grin before he wiggled his fingers against her ribcage too. "Peeta!" She laughed.

"Aren't you glad you agreed to that first date?"

Katniss pushed at his shoulders, tears forming at the corners of her eyes from his unrelenting efforts. "I'm rethinking what I said," another peal of laughter, "about second chances."

Peeta stopped, then, placing one last kiss against her stomach, trailing more kisses toward her mouth. "You love me too much." She sighed happily against his mouth, elated.

Katniss felt herself drifting asleep until she felt Peeta's fingers continue their torturous wriggling against her sides.

"Peeta," she yelped, but she was too overcome with laughter to be mad at him.


End file.
